AXP322 remote control diversity
Printed From: Avidyne
Category: Avidyne General
Forum Name: AXP340/322 ADS-B Transponder
Forum Description: Topics on the Avidyne AXP340/322 ADS-B Transponder
URL: https://avidynelive.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=1123
Printed Date: 26 Mar 2026 at 2:12pm
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 12.07 - https://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: AXP322 remote control diversity
Posted By: chris
Subject: AXP322 remote control diversity
Date Posted: 04 Aug 2016 at 11:41am
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Anyone out there figure out how to control a AXP322 xponder from BOTH a IFD540 AND IFD440? Currently if you have the 540 controlling the transponder, and you loose the 540, you loose the transponder too. Seems like you should be able to wire in the 440 as a backup for controlling the transponder. It makes for a difficult situation when the 540 goes out and you are trying to fall back and ATC gets on your case for a faulty transponder. Makes the workload higher PLUS ATC doesn't have a good radar track in case things are really going bad. Also, seems like you should be able to feed GPS position data to the transponder from either unit so that ADS-B keeps working. Anyone work out this problem? |
Replies:
Posted By: chflyer
Date Posted: 05 Aug 2016 at 3:27am
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I raised this issue a while back in the context of a single IFD540 feeding gps position to the txpdr as a gnd/air squat switch and for an ADS-B installation. My IFD540 lost GPS fix and my txpdr went u/s as a result. The Avidyne response was essentially ..... working as designed. The alternative proposed was to use a real airspeed "squat switch", but that doesn't address the ADS-B element which requires gps position. Wiring feeds from both IFD's together is not supported by Avidyne (and was not recommended by my avionics shop). Perhaps a possibility would be to have a panel switch to allow a manual backup.??? ------------- Vince |
Posted By: DavidBunin
Date Posted: 05 Aug 2016 at 5:22am
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I don't think this is unique to the AXP322. Most ADS-B transponders only have one data input port for the GPS position. So in most cases, the ASD-B transmitter is "captive" to a single GPS receiver onboard the aircraft. Also, most remote-mounted avionics only have one input port for a control head. So the remote box is always captive to a single point of control. For aircraft with dual transponders, I could understand having transponder #1 controlled through IFD #1 and transponder #2 controlled through IFD #2. Aside from that, I would not be too worried about it. Equipment failures are a legitimate emergency from the ATC perspective, even if the effect on the flight is minimal. So if I were to lose my ADS-B as part of a larger equipment failure, I would expect ATC to accommodate my needs for that flight (once I reported the failure to them). |
Posted By: chflyer
Date Posted: 05 Aug 2016 at 6:21am
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First, GPS failures on the IFD's seem to getting fewer and fewer reports and every Avidyne release seems to be correcting the remaining bugs (e.g. 10.1.3 for those outside the US). So this will likely be less of an issue as time goes by. But the difficulty I see, David, is less a failure in flight as a gps failure before takeoff which essentially grounds the aircraft until the xpdr can be reconfigured to work in ALT mode without gps input. Certainly doable at the runway holding point, but could take a few minutes to look it up in the manual, etc, etc. Normally, if the gps fails before t/o the xpdr never goes into ALT mode and is not seen by ATC. Taking off into xpdr-required airspace without an operating one is a violation unless previously specifically approved. ------------- Vince |
Posted By: DavidBunin
Date Posted: 08 Aug 2016 at 7:11am
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Maybe I missed the point. Are we talking about the GPS groundspeed data necessary to perform mode-switching in a standard transponder? Or are we talking about a GPS position that is necessary continuously throughout flight to populate the ADS-B Out data transmissions from a 1090ES or UAT transmitter? If we're talking about mode switching, I have to ask do you normally check your transponder during the takeoff roll to see that it switches to an active mode? I think my attention is well-spent on other things in those moments. If the concern is a GPS that was working at the ramp, then fails prior to flight (rather than failing once in flight), I suppose I understand the scenario. But the opportunity seems vanishingly small. If this keeps you up at night, then just don't configure your transponder for automatic operation. In my case, that isn't even an option. I have an old-school transponder and I just leave the mechanical mode switch in ALT all the time. Worry-free. |
Posted By: brou0040
Date Posted: 08 Aug 2016 at 11:40am
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It could have worked the last time you put the airplane away, then not acquire the next time you go to fly causing last minute delays/distractions. |
DavidBunin wrote:Posted By: DavidBunin
Date Posted: 10 Aug 2016 at 11:18am
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That's different than having it power up, work normally and acquire position, then fail at the runway hold-short line. If the GPS fails to acquire at start-up, well that's less of a problem than finding a bad mag at the run-up pad. |